The Philosophy Discussion Forum

You see, as a “figure of evil machination” Donald Trump is far too pedestrian. Now here is Alexis Jacobi’s model of eloquent evil — or, perhaps, a revealing side-glance into his own darkened soul? Gary, your thoughts?

Alexis Jacobi wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2026 1:09 pm Gary, you asked for my position on good and on bad and I wrote a substantial post revealing my position, such as it is. Please follow-up and share your developed thoughts on the topic.

You did indeed. Do you feel that your answer to what is good and bad is the best answer there is for anyone to come up with?

I submit that your answers derive from a copious amount of reading from sources critical of the traditional spirit of occidental morality. Is that fair to say? And is it fair to say that sources critical of the traditional spirit of occidental morality are better sources of information than sources sympathetic to the traditional spirit of occidental morality?

Well, certainly my views in this area were I realize profoundly affected by a full-body reading of Nietzsche (Genealogy of Morals perhaps the most influential).

For me, and at bottom, the issue reduces to one of “complicity”. Let me explain with a tangible example: the source of my wealth, my livelihood, and therefore my life, my development, my opportunities, derives directly from REITs that are held by massive insurance (and other) companies. So, perhaps indirectly, I have (a degree of) ownership interest in the fate, financially and otherwise, of America. But that ‘fate’, that abundance, those creations of prosperity, are completely tied-in with financial and industrial “causal chains” with roots in historical events.

So, when I mentioned the plowed-over ecosystem of the Mississippi Basin, and even the Deep South (original America) as the initial sources of wealth, I do not have the luxury of separation or of absolution. I am in that sense ‘complicit’.

Is ny “reading” radical? I take radical to mean honestly realistic.

You see, “you” also have ownership interests. Perhaps you are not aware of those lines of complicity. But they are there. Same with Lacewing, Seeds and Herr Dubious.

To all appearances we, i.e. the world, have entered or we are entering a time of war. I do not like it necessarily, nor relish the struggle, but the struggle is real.

Now, you Lacewing and Seeds are clearly of a breed of citizen-moderns who turn against your own country and interests. You are part of a mass movement in strange ideological confusion. You are “God’s righteous children” and you are like characters in In The Penal Colony (based on Genealogy of Morals).

You play and rehearse a deep game of righteous posing because you are engaged in hypocritical negation of your own complicity.

Any of this make sense?

Gary: Do you feel that your answer to what is good and bad is the best answer there is for anyone to come up with?

I cannot say it is an “answer” per se, but rather a realistic starting position for a more sober analysis.

Take Iran as an example we could discuss. It is probably a very definite “good” if the controlling regime were toppled and replaced and if a better government took power. Literally better for ‘everyone’. So the effort to do that was not “bad” it was terribly un-strategic. And, of course, a notorious Zionist regime, desirous of a substantial remodel of the ME, desires a ‘better’ government in Tehran.

I was listening to Norman Finkelstein expounding on the way that China evolved from “a sack of potatoes” into a developed and cohesive nation by way of Mao’s “cultural revolution” which, among many things, entailed mass murder. Like 20-30 million.

So, tell me how ultimately I must adjudicate Gaza? One hundred thousand killed? In some sense so what? Israel must live ((Am Chai Yisrael) according to its own terms. I don’t know. This is life, this is history, this is reality.

These are realities, Gary. How shall we adjudicate them in real terms?

Gary Childress to Alexis Jacobi wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2026 12:34 pm What makes you think that you're not getting intelligent interaction from some of us?

Because he, Jacobi, is drunk on his thoughts, incapable of seeing anything beyond them, and ridicules anyone who he thinks is 'not on the same level' as his thoughts.

Aaron’s view of (at least) some part of this matter.

Lacewing wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2026 2:39 pm Because he, Jacobi, is drunk on his thoughts, incapable of seeing anything beyond them, and ridicules anyone who he thinks is 'not on the same level' as his thoughts.

Those Radical Tonics Alexis Jacobi imbibes do not stupefy, they fortify! My soliloquies heal …

Check this out: former total supporter fully turned against Donald Trump. But note: he does outline what the policies could/should have been, or how they could/should have been carried through.

Dubious wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2026 1:03 am Trump's genius for screwups has revealed itself in all of its contagious, misbegotten, depraved glory. MAGA should now stand for Make America Gross Again. If it weren't for the critical intelligences in opposition to the maga crowd, a justified renaming of America to Moronica would be warranted thanks to the neuron deprived idiots who couldn't see the obvious the first time around.

Well, I don't know about you, but I would much prefer it being changed to "MORONICA" as opposed to "TRUMPISTAN." It would at least show that we know and acknowledge that we are morons as opposed to it being implied in the latter name.

Furthermore, aside from it being more upfront and honest about our mental status, wouldn't being designated as being a "MORONICAN" as opposed to a "TRUMPISTANIAN" take up less room on our citizenship papers and passports?

Anyway, getting back to what you said about the...

"...neuron deprived idiots who couldn't see the obvious the first time around..."

...according to Google's AI Overview...

Donald Trump was confirmed as the winner of the 2016 presidential election in the early morning hours of November 9, 2016.

Incredibly, it was almost a full decade ago, but it seems like only yesterday when you and I had the following conversation about Trump just a few days prior to him being confirmed as winning that first election...

seeds wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2016 10:25 pm

seeds wrote: ...unfortunately, at this point in time in what I and many others believe is just a short prelude to the impending and seemingly unavoidable collapse of the economy and social order, I don’t think it matters that much who becomes president.

Dubious wrote: The logic of this is already understood by many. No matter who becomes president, events will resolve to the same conclusion. There really is no other way to settle the score of what amounts to some of the worst fraud, corruption and mismanagement in history. The ledger will balance in the end. The question is how, when and what will be its consequences this being the most frightening to think about.

Yes, it is frightening to think about.

However, because I am old and have experienced a good long life, I am mostly frightened for the younger generations who must suffer the consequences of, as you stated “...some of the worst fraud, corruption and mismanagement in history...”

The depth of the ignorance that has brought us to this stage is hard to fathom.

seeds wrote: In which case (and sadly speaking), because America seems to be morphing into a caricature of its own greed and narcissism, then what better person is there to represent this awful caricature than Donald Trump?

Dubious wrote: Prior to any simple minded acceptance, this statement requires more analysis. Is Hillary Clinton by any criteria excluded from this assessment since only Trump is mentioned?

No, Clinton is not excluded, for in her own way she is every bit as scary as Trump.

Wherein Trump would no doubt “stumblebum” us into destruction in ways we cannot foresee, Hillary, on the other hand, will simply “stay the course” on the path to destruction already laid-out for us.

There’s no question about the fact that we are all in serious trouble no matter which one of the two candidates takes office.

However, as I stated earlier, if it is inevitable that the ship is going down anyway, regardless of who is at the helm, then I guess it is just a simple matter of “dignity” that the last captain (in a long series of captains) of what was once a great experiment in freedom and democracy, not be a total and embarrassing clown...

...a “child in a man’s body” as stated by Sam Harris.

Dubious wrote: Why has the latter become so popular among the electorate...and not because they like him? Without the least diplomacy or finesse, succumbing often to near vulgarity he makes plain his intention to destroy the establishment which literally destroyed the well being of many more Americans than are counted in the stats. This is how he's perceived by many rightly or wrongly which ironically is opposite to your representation.

A justifiable desperation to want to change the status quo of the broken American political system is no excuse for the even greater damage that could ensue by electing a Mussolini-ish dictator into office.

It’s as if a significantly large and clueless segment of the population are completely oblivious of the fact that they are blindly following an extremely dangerous script from a horrific era of 20th century Europe.

seeds wrote: ...we are in essence witnessing the slow but inevitable workings of karma as the U.S. is about to reap the returns of that which it has been sowing around the world over the last six or so decades.

Dubious wrote: You make this out as some desired retribution on the iniquity of an evil empire not mentioning others that are also out there ready to fill power vacuums. If their agency in the West recedes ending in a whimper due to the karmic weight of their own past actions who is there to replace them? Most likely something much more inimical and foreign.

When I recall what was happening in Viet Nam during my university years back in the late 60s, I can’t even begin to imagine how many innocent men, women, and children we slaughtered in our indiscriminate “carpet bombing” of Cambodia, or from using napalm and agent orange, or how many undocumented massacres similar to My lai probably took place...

Wiki wrote: The Mỹ Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass killing of between 347 and 504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968. It was committed by U.S. Army soldiers from the Company C of the 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the 23rd (Americal) Infantry Division. Victims included men, women, children, and infants. Some of the women were gang-raped and their bodies mutilated.

And that is just one little example of an incalculable number of horrors we rained-down on other humans in just a few short years back in the 60s, early 70s. Furthermore, this post would be far too long if I were to list the atrocities we’ve perpetrated in the Middle East in the years since Viet Nam.

And I won’t even broach the karmic imbalance of how a country that represents five percent of the world’s population, uses a percentage of the world’s resources that is vastly and immorally beyond its fair share.

The point is that it doesn’t matter who or what may be lying out there ready to fill the vacuum left by a fallen America, I’m afraid that the well-earned karmic payback for our sins is coming to get us, one way or another.
_______

Is there anything you would like to change or add to those decade old comments?

It seems, at the very least, that you and I have been fairly consistent in our assessment of Trump over the years, and that everything that Trump has done in the past decade has proven to be irrefutable evidence of why he has no peers in the battle for the title of "KING CLOWN."
_______

Caps denote a strong emotional response.

Somebody's not happy.
How's that philosophy workin' out?

seeds to Dubious wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2026 8:08 pm It seems, at the very least, that you and I have been fairly consistent in our assessment of Trump over the years, and that everything that Trump has done in the past decade has proven to be irrefutable evidence of why he has no peers in the battle for the title of "KING CLOWN."

I've been consistent too!

2016
Mon Dec 12, 2016 8:59 am

Lacewing wrote: ↑Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:59 pm

thedoc wrote:You guys are really amazing, Trump hasn't even been sworn in yet and you are talking about how bad things will be.

You don't see it?? Do you need to wait 'til the clown car is over the cliff to scream "Watch out!!"?

2020
Thu Aug 06, 2020 5:08 pm

Lacewing wrote:Meanwhile, those with orange-colored glasses dance around with glee, completely unaware/uncaring of the toxic ignorance and degeneration they perpetuate while they watch Rome burn. Any self-serving idiot can burn something up without a care for all of the foolish and unnecessary loss. Whereas, evolving skillfully and responsibly requires much more awareness and honor than is routinely performed by Trump and all the clowns piled in his clown car. History will tell the tale of this "tremendous" low point in humankind's mental function.

2026
Sun Jun 21, 2026 6:46 pm

Lacewing to Walker wrote: I know many Democrats AND Republicans... and NONE of them are as hyped up on toxic spew as you are. There ARE many things we all want in common, and thankfully, most people seem to be coming around to see the truths that are in front of us. But there are still people like you, clinging to the Trump Clown Car as it goes in circles with flat tires. Even his own party in Congress is pulling away from him. Eventually, all of his endeavors fail. There's a reason for that, and it's not other people.

seeds wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2026 8:08 pmFurthermore, aside from it being more upfront and honest about our mental status, wouldn't being designated as being a "MORONICAN" as opposed to a "TRUMPISTANIAN" take up less room on our citizenship papers and passports?

Perhaps but as a traveller to a foreign country you may in any case, be required to take an IQ test before entry just to make sure you can find your way back to the old homestead, the once enviable land renamed Moronica.

seeds wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2026 8:08 pmIs there anything you would like to change or add to those decade old comments?

No! I would say your statements were as accurate then as they are now. I think in those beginnings, you targeted the deficiencies of Trump more precisely than I did, though along with you and others, I expected nothing good to come of it.

The one thing easy to see after his first term - which had nothing to do with hindsight - were his subsequent calls for insurrection and sedition after having lost to Biden. This was not virtual treason but one actually so against the state, its people and Constitution replete with a sick-minded arrogant rage as if his Divine Right to rule were infringed. What happened to that old but venerable custom of hanging traitors?

Thereafter, at least for me, it seemed extremely improbable that hardly anyone in his right mind would vote again for such a character regardless of party affiliation. Unfortunately, in the upshot, one was left to ponder what kind of alien spore infected the minds of the electorate.

Clearly I was mistaken as became evident early on in his campaign for a second term...which also became a critical point since that would be his final one where his psychotic narcissism and lust for retribution merged to override anything attempting to obstruct his will; one which keeps moving back and forth driven by the kind of certainty which only a monumental ignorance and a perverted will to power mentality, further fostered by revenge motives, would endorse as unconditional into a he who must be obeyed kind of deity.

Finally, I'd like to say it's impressive how well you managed to keep and maintain a record of your interactions with others on this site which are so opposite to my habits. Reading some of these dialogues from the past can, for sure, be both surprising and enlightening, not to mention embarrassing. I hardly ever saved anything I've written whether it be prose or poetry which, in regard to the latter, I especially regret; there was, if permitted to say, some good stuff there. Now there's only a few bagatelles left. But there's no point in wasting time in regrets. Oblivion will eventually cancel out the doer and finally everything that was done.

I reviewed my posts from 2016 and, similar to my thoughts today, they were not so much bound up in partisan affiliations but took a more “meta” approach.

AJ when Gustav Bjornstrand wrote:The US can be visualized as a vast and complex machine which has been set in motion. The machine is one that has been running for all of the 20th century. It is absurd to imagine, and it only can be imagined in a disconnected, idealistic, unschooled mind, that someone can appear at the control terminal and make the machine do something different.

Further, the whole idea of 'make America great', when you break it down, means and can only mean to rev up the same machine engine which was built and designed, and then put in motion, when the US broke out of its *isolation* and became an imperial player. The Philippines and the entry into WW1 seem to represent the total shift and a radical new direction for the Republic.

I cannot, right now, see any way round this analysis. In my view therefor the only 'way forward' is a dramatic shift in the policy-structure and also the political structure of the US itself. How could that possibly come about? It likely cannot, and yet the speculation is valuable. It is a willingness to surrender imperial ambitions and a return, or a retreat, into the fortification and protection of individual states. That is, to disempower a Federal government which has exceeded, astoundingly, the natural inhibitors built into the executive office by the Founders. That does mean of course leaving the (world) field and leaving other players to play out their giant games.

It has taken about 100 years for things to develop to this point. It is folly to imagine that anything at all will be suddenly changed simply on the basis of a whim.

From the look of it Trump is assembling around him the exact sort of cabinet that one would imagine when one imagines how a Make America Great again project would be undertaken. According to the old terms of understanding. What he likely means, and what he likely visualizes, is the aftermath of the unprecedented success when the US marched into the ruins of Europe, victor.

The entire TDS spectacle that is performed by those of our own righteous children now rehearsing a Victory Lap is really not very helpful and is pretty shallow — as far as analysis goes. There needs to have been some level of detailed presentation of what precisely was desired by that class that jumped up and down screaming about Donald Trump. What did they/do they want for the nation?

There would have needed to have been an intelligent critique of the national administration that HRC represented which seems now to be on the point of manifesting itself by way of Democratic Socialists of America.

The point, as I understood not only Donald Trump but the political machine and cultural movement that assembled itself around him, in relation to him, was to take apart, to dismantle, that “socialist” machinery that presented itself through extreme forms of anti-establishment popular anarchy — DEi, the George Floyd rioters; those factions that went on rampages tearing down statues and monuments, and which touted a complete remodel of America by way of tearing apart established hierarchies.

In this sense there was a “mandate” given to Trump and a whole range of political players to countermand and undermine a specific direction taken by the Federal Government in collusion as well with giant corporations that were willing and seemingly eager to go along with DEI directives for social engineering of the nation.

I do not think you Righteous Ones are paying attention to a larger picture. And TDS is still, in that sense, an emotional reaction that blinds one to the larger implications — that have to do with the direction of the country in larger senses.

I cannot see any way around condemnation of Donald Trump not so much for his personality and failings, but more importantly for failing in his mandate. (Initiating the Iran attack was a terribly consequential blunder). But carrying out that mandate, in a country divided right down the middle, would have been extraordinarily difficult to have completed. However, that brings us back to having to face, and understand, that the country is extremely divided about the question: What America is, and What it is supposed to be.

Dubious wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2026 9:08 am…

There is I think something significant that those who read you need to know: What is your nationality? You write in American English but I do not think you are American by nationality. I thought for a long time that you were Canadian. I do not think it is an invasive question.

The one thing easy to see after his first term - which had nothing to do with hindsight - were his subsequent calls for insurrection and sedition after having lost to Biden. This was not virtual treason but one actually so against the state, its people and Constitution replete with a sick-minded arrogant rage as if his Divine Right to rule were infringed. What happened to that old but venerable custom of hanging traitors?

This is also, in my opinion, an incomplete analysis, and because it is incomplete, misleading. The country had been roiled by anarchic, anti-government and anti-American activism that was not entirely spontaneous. It was encouraged, instigated and supported by internal factions with their own agenda. The way the election was won, at that time and under those conditions, had and still has dubious elements. I cannot say illegal machinations, but certainly machinations of dubious sorts.

And the riot itself has numerous questionable elements, not the least being the revelation of Intelligence operatives encouraging the mobs to riot. The rioting, the insurrection if you will, corresponds to the rioting and the insurrection that had been occurring all over the country and far more seriously and intensely. There were also corresponding riots and insurrectionist-looking events staged by Left oriented activists at other times. And in fact with greater organizational skill.

So a fuller picture must be described in order to understand the mood of intolerance against the Left Progressive Radical movement that had certainly manifested itself with far more dramatic power than the Capital event … by way of months and years of media and government collusion.